Army Officer, on short orders to Hawaii, looking for crew to deliver my upcoming Bluewater, 36' Cape George Cutter (or equivalent classic plastic) from Seattle or Vancouver to Honolulu. Final stages of bidding on a blue waterboat, with reporting orders on 31 OCT 2017. It will be seaworthy, and outfitted for the crossing, but not fancy. I am a Chesapeake sailor (ASA 101-1-3, 105), but lack the time to travel with you. NOT paying exorbitant Hawaiiboat prices or crazy Yacht deliveryfees. If this works, we can do again!

1. Crew (or family) capable of making recommendations on any necessary upgrades, if not purchase itself. Potentially willing to look at the boat before I sign the purchase order, however I am using a qualified surveyor.

2. Affordable: Prefer a couple, or colleagues who seek an adventure vs. expensive, "Yacht delivery," with experience crossing the Pacific or equivalent. Should be exciting for all.
3. Character or sailing references. Assume personal liability of trip, however yacht will be insured and surveyed.
3. Will pay up to three economy tickets back from Hawaii to USA plus provisions and supplies while aboard. May pay for time spent during "make ready" in Seattle if not too excessive.
5. Willing to instruct owner on Yacht, when he arrives in Hawaii if coincide with my arrival.
6. Flexible. If I find what I want, and you concur it is a good vessel for delivery, you can launch as soon as possible, dependent upon best nautical planning and weather.
7. Not hold me liable, as sailors assume their own risk. Sailors need not be from the USA, but must depart from same.
8. Please be credible. Don't decide to make my crossing your first, OK?
LTC J

Good luck with all that, mate! You are asking a lot, and with a lot of picky stipulations. Also putting a lot of responsibility upon someone you want to basically work for free,near as dammit. Personally I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole.

Thanks all who responded, however glib. Actually I just sold my fifth sailboat (I usually sail Westerlys here in the Chesapeake), so though not at your level, I still hope for some useful advise, and at the same time I am soliciting my offshore sailing instructor who might deliver. Again, Thanks folks, and keep the useful responses coming. Sorry if my direct offer seemed to undercut your business, but I would personally be glad to deliver a yacht if I had the time and requisite experience. For those who have something to offer, please do respond. Cheers!

Stoicsailor, I think you misunderstand the reactions. You are communicating in a foreign medium here. This is not the military, probably as far from the military in nature as I could possibly conceive. You might like to solicit assistance with your communication tone to better reach your intended audience. Offered in the spirit of friendly advice from someone who regularly communicates with both military and non military personnel.

3. Will pay up to three economy tickets back from Hawaii to USA plus provisions and supplies while aboard. May pay for time spent during "make ready" in Seattle if not too excessive.

Is suspect. Really even, "Captain Ron" would expect to get paid something. Best case you will get a nut job that you won't want to go to sea with or die at sea with. You could get your boat back all beat to hell, sails blown out, engine shot etc etc... Worse case a drug/person smuggler that gets everyone locked up and the boat confiscated.

If you can't do it yourself, you need to hire a Pro.
Cause sometimes you get what you pay for.
Can you imagine having someone drive your new car across the country for free? After supervising the maintenance etc required to get it in condition for the trip?

Sorry if my direct offer seemed to undercut your business, but I would personally be glad to deliver a yacht if I had the time and requisite experience. For those who have something to offer, please do respond. Cheers!

Not sure to whom that is addressed, but if it was me, do be assured that I am not a delivery skipper, and I am not concerned about any business losses. I'm a cruising sailor who has done a fair number of trans oceanic passages, and who is trying to show you a realistic view of your "offer of adventure".

As to your second point, IF you had the requisite experience, you would NOT likely be glad to deliver a yacht under the stipulated rules and requirements. Your experience would tell you how many pitfalls lurked in the job.

What pitfalls, might the Chesapeake sailor ask? Well, this "adventure" is proposed to fall in the end of the cyclone season, or perhaps in that period when winter storms start impinging on the route, all depending on how many delays arise between purchase and departure. These are serious considerations when planning such a passage

What delays?? Well, buying an elderly yacht means that it is unlikely to be ready to go to sea on a serious voyage. You say that she will be seaworthy and well provisioned. How do you know this about a boat that has not been seen or surveyed as yet? Remedying the inevitable issues is not likely to be a short job. Do you expect this volunteer skipper to oversee the many jobs that need to be accomplished, all the while living away from home on his own nickle and having paid for his own transport to the boat? Real project managers get paid well for dealing with this sort of thing.

And then you expect the volunteer to help you make the purchase decision... and then a few lines down insist that you won't accept any liability responsibilities. And let us not forget the sailing lessons on arrival... a job that many would not view as particularly attractive. And no mention of insurance... do you think that an insurer will be happy with your volunteer skipper? Oh, but you you want a "licensed captain" who would be insurable. You do realize that the reason that folks go to the trouble and expense of acquiring and maintaining such a license is so they can make money sailing?

So, as I said before, good luck in your venture. Perhaps some suitable fellow will appear and all will go well. If no one jumps in, perhaps some of the above points are the reason.

Jim

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Jim and Ann s/v Insatiable II Back afloat, stooging around Moreton Bay for a while

When I politely asked the local factory owner and some of his neigbouring multi-millionairs a few month ago, if they would give me 550,000 Euro in order to finance my sailing dream, they all declined.

Except for one who saw me talented and offered a job for selling insurances instead.

But those who do not ask, will not have a chance to get what they desire... Even though chances may not be much better than a couple of 10,100 times the chances of winning the lottery. Which stil is rather low.

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Whether you believe you can do a thing or not, you are right - Henry Ford

Not sure what the relevance of you being an Army officer is to the task in hand, but what it does tell us is that you will be on a pretty decent salary so I suggest you bite the bullet (presumably you have some) and pay a professional to do the job properly